"Why did the Victorians allow nude bathing at the seaside when a nude illustrations in a magazine could bring the full fury of the law down on the printers and publishers? Why was the Royal Academy filled with paintings of nude women when ballet dancers were considered immoral because they showed their legs? 'Tell me, pretty maiden' explores these fascinating and, to us, often ridiculous complexities. Ronald Pearsall, who has long been intrigued by this period, discusses the artists of the time and their work, and the public's reactions to them, with the help of some selections from contemporary criticism. His collection of postcards, photographs and paintings illustrates this area where prudery failed and middle-class morality stumbled, from artists as disparate as Burne-Jones and Leighton, and ranging from the nostalgic to the coy, the subtly erotic to the clinically accurate, the saucy to the decadent. This well-written and aptly illustrated book gives an intimate glimpse into the prejudices and morals of our immediate ancestors." -- dust jacket.

A fascinating look at the founders of the world's main religions. The major religious traditions of the world owe their existence to the vision of an ancient founder. This important volume explores the lives of the five founders of major world religions-Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad-chronicling what is actually known of these charismatic men and introducing readers to the cultural and religious worlds that heard their messages. Readers in predominantly Christian lands, in addition to learning about the lives of Confucius, Buddha, and Muhammad- whom they might not be familiar with- will also be introduced to modern research now casting fresh light on the careers of Moses and Jesus. Whether studied individually or in comparison with one another, these biographies, together with a chapter on the characteristics of religious leadership, chart the spiritual rivers that continue to feed the diversity of religious expression today.

Profiles the last queen of Egypt, who gained and maintained power over her kingdom through her alliance with Julius Caesar and later Marc Antony.

This book presents and analyses the results of the use and adaptation of ancient Egyptian architecture in modern times. It traces the use of ancient Egyptian motifs and constructions across the world, from Australia, the Americas and Southern Africa to Western Europe. It also inquires into the cultural, economic and social contexts of this practice. Imhotep Today is exceptional not only in its global coverage, but in its analyses of thorny questions such as: what was it about Ancient Egypt that inspired such Egyptianizing monuments, and was it just one idea, or several different ones which formed the basis of such activities? The book also asks why only certain images, such as obelisks and sphinxes, were incorporated within the movement. The contributors explore how these 'monuments' fitted into the local architecture of the time and, in this context, they investigate whether 'Egyptianizing architecture' is an ongoing movement and, if so, how it differs from earlier, similar activities.

A look at Victorian art from the perspective of the middle-class patron.